Improvement in fifth-wheels for vehicles



FIFTH WHEELS FoRvEHIcLEs.

Patented Sept.11,18'77.

9c. w@ m ma@ N PETERS, PHOTO-UTHOGRAPHER wxsmuscnv` n C.

v UNITED STATES PATE OFFICE.,`

ISAAC EATON AND HENRY M. FORTNEY, OF NEWASHARON, IOWA.

IMPROVEMENT IN FIFTH-WHEELS FOR VEHICLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 194,959, datedSeptember 11, 1877; application filed June 9, 1877.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, ISAAC EATON and H. M. FORTNEY, ot' New Sharon, inthecounty of Mahaska and State of Iowa, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in the Combination of the Fifth-Wheel and Rocker 5and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art towhich it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

The nature of our invention consists in a fifth-wheel for vehicles,suspended by hingejoints from arms secured to the under side of the bed,as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the annexed drawings, which fully illustrate our invention, Figure lis a plan view. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the line x andFig. 3 a side elevation of the same.

A represents the upper, and B the lower, halt of a fifth-Wheel forvehicles,constructed in any of the known and usual ways. yOn top of theupper half A are formed two lugs, a a, one on each side, which areplaced between lugs d d, formed on and projecting downward from bars orarms D D, and bolts b b are passed through said lugs, as shown, therebyhinging the fifth-wheel to the centers of said arms. These arms arefastened to the under side of the top or bed of the wagon.

By thus suspendingl the fifth-wheel by hinged joints, or, in otherwords, forming a rocking fifth-wheel, We obviate the strain on the bedand wagon when one ofthe wheels runs in a cavity, or over an obstructionwhich raises one side ofthe wagon and wheel higher than the other. Thisrocker allows the bed or top to stay level, giving according to thecavity or obstruction.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The fth-wheel herein described, consisting ofthe parts A B, the upperpart having the lugs a, the lugs d projecting downward from the bars D,and the bolts b, all constructed and arranged as and for the purpose setforth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have heretoaffixed our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

ISAAC EATON. HENRY M. FORTNEY.

Witnesses J. D. KENNARD, A. H. VIcKERs.

